The animated family film tops its Christmas Day haul by 35% and tops “The Hobbit”

“Frozen” was the movie of choice across North America on New Year’s Day, as Disney’s 3D animated kids film took in $8.7 million on Wednesday.

Dad may have been parked on the couch for TV’s annual orgy of college football bowl games, but mom and the kids turned out for “Frozen,” which has turned into a box-office juggernaut over the holidays. Its Wednesday haul was up 35 percent from Christmas Day, and it has now taken in more than $270 million domestically and $520 million worldwide since opening just before Thanksgiving.

“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” was second Wednesday with $7.8 million. The second film in Peter Jackson’s trilogy has led the domestic box office for the past three weekends, and is up to $209 million for Warner Bros. and MGM. It’s been a dynamo overseas, and has rung up more than $630 million globally.

Paramount’s “Wolf,” the black comedy starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has taken in $41.5 million domestically since opening on Christmas Day, and generated a war of words over its explicit depiction of the sex-and-drugs-drenched excess of the 1980s stock market boom.

Sony’s “American Hustle,” the quirky Abscam comedy directed by David O. Russell, has taken in more than $60 million since rolling out nationwide on Dec. 20.

Will Farrell’s comedy sequel “Anchorman 2” is up to $91 million for Paramount – the original finished with $85 million – and has added another $25 million from overseas.

Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks” and Fox’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” were next, both at around $4 million.

The Tom Hanks-Emma Thompson drama about the making of “Mary Poppins” has taken in $48.2 million domestically since opening wide on Dec. 20. “Mitty,” starring and directed by Ben Stiller, has brought in $35.5 million since opening on Christmas Day.

The leaders have been largely unchanged over the holidays, but on Friday Paramount is opening its horror film “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones,” and that should shake things up.

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